Here are some FAQs...curricular ones near the top but quite a few general ones below that...
Curriculum questions:
Q: We have to have 3 topic lesson plans ready by the training. What should they look like? Should they have PowerPoint presentations? Should they be traditional lesson plans with objectives and timing on it, for example?
A: by the time of the training, you should prepare a first draft of the pages you want to be included in the workbook. [the assumption here is that you've also made lesson plans and then created the workbook pages based off of those]. at the training, you can meet with other members of your Theme if they are there [returning teachers probably won't be because we only require you to come your first year] and then a final draft of your workbook pages is due june 15th i think i said? i don't plan to collect the topic lesson plans themselves but for your own purposes they might be nice to have with the timing of activities, etc.
so, think of the 2-hour topic lessons as a series of 3-5 activities which introduce the content and give students opportunities to use the language. the first few years of the program, teachers gave 1-hour "interactive lectures" [somewhat oxymoronic if you ask me] and then the second hour was each student standing in front of the class giving a 2-minute impromptu speech while his/her classmates talked to each other, sent short messages, or slept. it was maddening but the chinese wanted it that way and they paid the fiddler so they called the tune. through a lot of negotiation with the chinese side, we've progressed greatly in terms of making the topic lessons incredibly dynamic and interactive...the more running around the classroom, going to the board, yelling and screaming you can generate, the better. ha!
Q: Our overarching question is: ...are we supposed to be versed in and ready to teach all three topics?
A: yes...each teacher teaches all three topics....so even if you divide the job of creating the topic lessons, you each teach them [and can do so with your own personal style].
Q: If I understand the cycle, we teach Group 1 for three mornings and three afternoons in a row. Does that mean that on Day 1, I teach my first topic lesson then Day 2 my second one and Day 3 my third one and then on Day 4 start all over again with a new group?
A: yes....you teach one group of students for three mornings, another group for those three afternoons, and then on day 4 [and day 7, and day 10...] you get a new morning group and a new afternoon group. the only thing that doesn't change is your homeroom group...you have them from 9-10am every day.
Q: When I look at [the previous year's] material, it seems that they had 3 PPT that went with [each lesson] in the workbook.
A: each teacher can make his/her own powerpoint. if you are splitting up the lesson creation tasks, the teacher in charge of each lesson might make a basic ppt and then other teachers can tailor it to their own interests. so, the topic lesson should be the same but the delivery of it can be unique to each teacher in the Theme.
Q: Do we team teach or do we teach separately? A: you teach individually. each teacher has her own classroom and you stay in that room all 3 weeks
Q: Do we assign homework? A: not really. i don't know if anybody ever has. but that doesn't mean you can't preview the next day's lesson and encourage students to visit a few websites at night if they want to do work outside of class. the program is a real balance between fun and education...the most important part is that the students have fun but the other most important part is that they learn a lot from us... :)
Q: How many students are in each group?
A: hopefully around 20-22. wuhan university always hopes to enroll 900 students [30/class] and at one level we should hope they are successful, but on another level, i don't think we're ever too disappointed when they're not
Q: How much can we expect to get done in 2 hours?
A: chinese students are very good at accomplishing tasks, so it wouldn't be unrealistic to divide the 2 hours into 5 20-minute activities and get them all done, even including a break...
Q: What do we do in homeroom?
A: each teacher can determine their own homeroom curriculum depending on your strengths and interests. usually teachers do some pronunciation lessons [which isn't usually explicitly included in the topic lessons], speaking activities, etc. there is also the assumption that each Theme will include some extra material for the workbook so you can do activities in the morning which give students a chance to reflect on what they learned the day before. [if these can be modeled after the ibt-TOEFL that is even better.
Q: What does a typical day look like? The nuts and bolts, day in, day out of things?
A: breakfast 730-830; bus to classroom 745; homeroom 900-955; topic lesson 1000-1200; bus back to hotel at 1215; lunch 1230-115; naptime 115-214; bus back to classroom at 215; topic lesson 230-430; walk back to hotel and collapse onto your bed for another nap 430-530; dinner 530-535; extracurricular activities 600-midnight... :)
Q: What is Internet access like? Can we expect certain sites to be blocked?
A: no internet in the classroom; internet at the hotel but no youtube and facebook is somewhat unreachable unless you are pretty tech-savvy or have friends who are. ha!
Luggage Restrictions:
Just a short message to explain a little about the travel and the luggage...and please please please feel free to confirm this with the airline if you are the least dubious about it. i have been wrong about stuff before and i will be wrong again--of that there is no doubt. ha ha!
On the way to china, because it is an international flight, you are allowed two 50-lb checked-bags. travel from beijing to wuhan will be on the train, and luggage limits do not apply. [oh, bring a lock or two--one for each bag--for use when we send the luggage on the train...that is absolutely *imperative*].
On the way home though, you might encounter the 20 kg domestic baggage limit. i remember a few years ago, i had to pay something like 300 rmb [about 35$ then, but about 40$ now] for my second bag. usually though, i think the chinese travel agent can make a note of this on your domestic ticket to your departure airport for your flight home, but post-program travel within china presents some interesting scenarios because if you're heading to Xi'an for 4 days with a group of other teachers, you might not want to hassle with two 50-lb bags
Churches:
There are a few that i know of in wuhan--one protestant and the other catholic, for sure--and teachers have gone regularly over the years. some of the returning teachers can help you find a church and get there, or maybe even a student can help. as far as the students go, it's perfectly acceptable to talk about religion with them--religion is a big part of the US and probably plays a big part in the lives of some of you...so, it is not a topic you need to avoid. [but of course you shouldn't be promoting it or passing out religious materials, etc.] you will have no problem entering china with a bible for your personal use but you expose our entire program to problems if you bring more than one, with the intent to distribute.
Attitude:
Our attitude upon arrival should be primarily one of humility and we should try to learn as much as we can about our students, teaching english in china, and china in general while we are there. in this regard, we are going to china as teachers but also as learners.
Bring your own batteries:
I've bought name-brand Double-A batteries (Duracell, etc) in China before that aren't energized enough even to operate my digital camera. Fact is, you can't always count on quality assurance. And in many cases there are actually different standards for domestic and goods for export. Example are the Ferrar & Rocher chocolates (sp.?) in the stores in China. They are, uh, not quite as good as the same ones you'd buy in Columbus or Hong Kong.
Deodorant/anti-perspirant:
Bring your own. It's not a staple on Chinese store shelves. And the roll-ons you might see that look like anti-perspirant aren't. They're more like a perfume to cover up the sweat smell.
Money...
I was asked what type of money be taken to China: personal checks, or cash, or money order to China. My answer is in this order: cash and money order. You will find your credit card might be useful in Beijing and Wuhan, though there won't be many stores which accept foreign credit cards.
Doing Research
hi folks...i know you've only got a few more days to get organized for your departure, but i want to take a few minutes to talk about something important to our program: research. it has taken me a few years, at least, maybe more, to come around to the importance of this in general--i've always thought research diverted teachers from what i thought was their exclusive mission, teaching--but now that i have come to appreciate its vital role in everyone becoming better teachers, i want to explain a little about how/why it is important to our program and lay out some general thoughts about it in the context of WUSIEP. in fact, i know some of you have already contacted me/us about wanting to collect some data while you're there, and others of you may be considering it as well, or will consider it now, which is great... :)
1) we encourage as much research as possible on and about the program and will cooperate with you fully to make it as meaningful and unobtrusive as possible. that being said though, please make sure that minru/i know what you're doing and we'll want to see any instrument you design before you use it.
2) if the chinese english teachers you befriend want to collect some information--they are very motivated to publish, most of them at least--make sure they also talk to us in advance of doing anything. we also obviously encourage them and any possible collaborations between US and Chinese teachers--esp. if they result in conference presentations or publications--would be wonderful. however, sometimes they come up with ill-advised schemes with onerous expectations and one way for you to handle a situation where they are asking you to help them is to divert the teacher to us.
sincerely,
bob
Calling Home
Skype is also an option or at least it was last year.
About the telephone...i mentioned earlier how easy [and inexpensive--2 or 3 cents/minute] it is for people to call you through the www.onesuite.com system, but it is also possible for you to call home from your room. when you arrive, if you expect wanting to do this, you can put up a deposit at the front desk of the hotel [usually, 200 rmb] and then each call is deducted from this. it is not expensive but it is nowhere near as inexpensive as your family calling you. in the past, systems like pre-arranged times to call so you can be in your room, or sending email saying "call me in 5 minutes...i'll be in my room" have all worked well........also, when you walk around china, at most newsstands, you will see blue and/or orange public phones...i have, many times, been strolling down the street, had a few minutes to kill, and picked up the phone to call random friends back in the states just to hear their voice for a few minutes, etc....it's actually pretty easy and not terribly expensive either.
each of us has a phone in our room and at most people calling you will need to provide your room # to the hotel front desk phone operator...
More suggestions from Monica
I would just pack travel-size toiletries for going to China. When we arrive in Wuhan, all of us teachers will go together to the Chinese version of Walmart, and you can get anything you might need there, even bug spray. It's kind of funny, because bug spray is translated to "toilet water" (I think they mean "toilette"). Most of the brands I've seen come in a bright green plastic bottle and it's super cheap and easy to find (it gets a little buggy on campus at night). We'll have translators with us as well, so no worries. You can also get a full-sized shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc. there. Last year I just packed a couple travel sizes of those for while we're in Beijing, and bought my month-long supply once we got into Wuhan. However , as far as feminine hygiene goes, you definitely want to bring your own supplies. For example, it's nearly impossible to find tampons; last year, we went hunting all over the place and all we could find was an 8-pack of o.b. tampons. But other bath & body products are abundant; the Chinese shampoo I got last year was awesome.
I remember last year the guys had trouble charging their electric razors, so I would pack regular razors of your own. Chinese women don't seem to shave their legs or armpits and the men's beards are scanty, so the razors in China may not be up to par with (or as easy to come by as) the ones you can buy in the U.S. Also, bring a travel-size pack of tissues (you can buy more in Wuhan's "Walmart"); sometimes you may be out with students and the public bathrooms aren't so nice. TP is something you don't want to be without when you're out and about in China (or anywhere, for that matter!).
You can't drink the water straight from the tap in China, but you can use it to brush your teeth if you boil it first. We'll each have a mini-boiler in our rooms for doing so.
As far as the plane goes, on the way to China, I would try to have 3 pieces of luggage, no more: a carry-on with your laptop, IDs, passport, etc. (i.e. the important stuff, and keep it on you at all times), a small suitcase (to carry-on) [my suggestion is that if you can check two bags, then don't carry-on anything other than your purse/laptop bag...it makes the boarding process less stressful (bob)], and a big suitcase with your clothes/shoes/etc. that you can check. You should also pack a big duffel bag of some sort, so that when you come back, you'll have a whole extra carry-on that you can put souvenirs in (and you can just check the other 2 suitcases). Trust me, you'll probably need it, especially if you have a lot of friends and family you want to shop for. The ladies last year had clothing made (I had 6 dresses made last year for myself and friends!), and you'll find that you have more money than you know what to do with. So an extra bag may come in handy for the travel home.
Q: What is the laundry service at Wuhan University? Is it self-service, coin operated laundromat like we have in the US or is it a dry cleaning service?
A: The service girls on each floor can wash clothes for us, charging a very reasonable fee.
Q:Do the rooms have an iron so we can iron our own clothes?
A: I don't know if there is any iron in the hotel or not. If one does need one, it is quite cheap to buy one there in Wuhan. Even two or three teachers can share one.
Q: Will someone meet us at the airport in Beijing? How do we get to the hotel? And if we opt for the tour when the program ends, are there arrangements for us to get to the airport in Shanghai or must we find a way to do that ourselves?
A: There will be a tour guide to meet with us at the Beijing airport. As a group trip, our travel agent will make all arrangements for us. If one will have his/her own post-program trip, please contact me about the details when we are in Wuhan.
Q. SHOULD I TAKE A CONVERTER WITH ME TO CHINA?
A. Not necessary. Although the electric volt in China is 220 v instead of 110v, you are not encouraged to take electric equipment to China during this short trip. If you need hair dryer (most of the hotel rooms are equipped with the hair dryer), it is cheaper to buy one than buying a converter and taking it to China. If you do have something needing a converter, please let Bob or me know. Also, most laptops and battery chargers have a built in converter--that big black box on the plug. You need to check this though and make sure it says something like "110V-240V"...however, not all the big black boxes on the plugs are also converters...if you don't check before plugging it in though, you'll know within a few seconds [by the burning smell] that it isn't... :)
Q. DO I HAVE TO TRAVEL WITH THE TEACHERS BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROGRAM?
A. No. The teachers are departing from various locations in the United States, so I do not expect we will all be together as a group until we have arrived in China. However, the travel agents will do their best to make arrangements for us to take the same international flight to China, as we did over the past years.
There is a pre-program tour in Beijing, covered by Wuhan University. Unless you receive permission from WUSIEP, you are expected to participate in this tour fully. Regardless of how many times you've visited the places we'll go, or how many friends you have in Beijing, you need to stay with our group. [There will be a few hours each evening to meet friends/former students if you want to]. At the end of the program, you can leave Wuhan by 5pm Friday July 29. Many teachers may stay in China a few extra days after that to see more of this country before returning to America. But this is totally up to you. In the past, many of the teachers took a tour to the Three Gorges and then to Shanghai.
Q. WHAT ARE THE ACCOMMODATIONS LIKE FOR THE TEACHERS AT WUHAN UNIVERSITY?
A. The Luojia Shan Villa is a campus hotel on the side of a hill on the Wuhan University campus. Each teacher will have a private room that is air conditioned and has Western-style toilet but like in many asian countries, the toilet paper is thrown in the wastebasket--not flushed. In addition, each room has a desk for any teaching preparation work, a hair dryer, and many rooms have refrigerators.
Q. DO WE NEED TO BRING BASIC SUPPLIES AND A COMPUTER?
A. Not unless you want to. At the Luojia Shan Villa, the teachers are provided with a workroom of basic supplies (stationery, pens, pencils, staplers, etc) and desktop computers with fast broadband Internet connections. Teachers could prepare lessons or send email home with relative ease. There is also a photocopier in our workroom at the hotel but it is prone to unreliability and should only be used to make limited amounts of copies. Do not arrive in Wuhan expecting to do a lot of copying--most everything you need for daily class activities should be included in the student workbook.
Q. WHAT ABOUT BRINGING VIDEOTAPES?
A. If you want to bring a videotape to show to your class, I highly recommend that you have it converted to DVD before you leave for China.. Each teacher will have a workstation in the front of each classroom for showing presentations or videos, but it probably won’t include a VCR player.
If you are going to use internet materials in your teaching, please download them and save them in a CD or DVD. There might be difficulty to download these materials in China, and there is no internet system in the classroom building, though I have asked to have it for years.
Q. WHAT ABOUT HEALTH INSURANCE?
A. Check with your individual health-insurance company to see what coverage you would have in China. We require each teacher should have his/her own health insurance while working at Wuhan University. Fortunately, in the past, the most serious illnesses experienced by the teachers were stomachache or flu-like symptoms from eating bad food or hot weather. Wuhan University officials were very gracious and provided care and medicine, if necessary, without charging the teachers.
Q. DO I NEED ANY SPECIAL VACCINATIONS OR OTHER MEDICAL CHECK-UP BEFORE I TRAVEL TO CHINA?
A. This depends on the opinion of your personal physician. Now is the time to contact your physician regarding whether you need any preventative vaccinations or medical care before going to China. An important source of medical information for foreign travelers is on the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov). Wuhan University is in an urban environment. We will not be out in the rural areas of China where many serious diseases can be contracted. However, depending on your medical history, your physician may recommend a TB test and hepatitis vaccinations, at least. Because the hepatitis vaccinations are given in a series over weeks before you leave the United States, it would be advisable to contact your physician now. Also, be sure to pack any medication you need, and it is probably best to see your dentist so you do not have unintended dental problems in China. As for over-the-counter medication, you can pack
your favorite allergy medicine, vitamins, or whatever you take. I would suggest that you do not forget taking some diarrhea medicine in case your stomach has a little problem getting used to the Wuhan diet and schedule.
OTHER THOUGHTS AND SUGGESTIONS FROM TEACHERS . . .
.. . . If you are missing American food in Wuhan, don’t worry. A Pizza Hut and about a half-dozen McDonald’s and a few KFCs are walking distance from the University gate. Near the main square of the city there is a French-owned shopping center, called Carrefour, which includes a large grocery store with not only some exotic Chinese food but good old Western food, from Gatorade to Hershey Bars to peanut butter and vacuum-packed cold cuts.
.. . . Be careful with what you eat in the restaurants and on the street. Best rule: if it hasn’t been cooked or looks bad, DON’T EAT IT. We will have many chances to eat out with our Chinese hosts and they will take us to restaurants where the food is good AND safe. Another important guideline is that if you are going to do any food exploration, do it on friday or saturday because if your body reacts to it negatively, you do not need to be in the classroom the following day. With apologies, we cannot allow teachers to miss class for intestinal distress--we simply don't have substitutes and canceling class isn't an option. Be smart and remember the most important thing is that you stay healthy enough to teach all your classes...the adventure part of this journey is secondary. WHU is paying a lot of money to fly us there to teach, not to complain about diarrhea. (bob)
.. . . Don’t ever drink tap water anywhere in China, not even in your hotel room. Only drink bottled water. Most teachers brush their teeth with water from the faucet though with no problem.
.. . . Expect HOT weather. Temperatures of summer days in Wuhan is usually in the mid-90s but could be over 110 degrees F . So pack cool, light-colored clothing. The classrooms are air conditioned, but you can lose a few pounds walking between class and the villa. (Wuhan University will provide the teachers with a bus in the morning and noon between classroom and hotel) The Chinese don’t call Wuhan one of the “stoves” of China for nothing!
.. . . Also on campus---a post office and little “convenience stores” for late-night snacks.
.. . . No need to pack your fanciest clothing. The dress code for teachers is “business casual,” a little on the conservative side. Don’t wear odd-style clothes, like jeans with chains and holes in them.. We might think we’re making a fashion statement, but the Chinese will just think we’re slovenly. ALso, forget cotton clothes because they take too long to dry. You will probably do your laundry by hand and hang it on the roof of the hotel to dry. Finally, this is not a style show...bring 3-4 changes of clothes and wear them repeatedly without any concern for repetition. You may notice in fact that your students wear the same clothes every day, or, at most, have a couple different changes of clothes. This sort of thing just isn't an issue to them.
.. . . Also, clothes are relatively inexpensive there. You might want to pack light and supplement your wardrobe in Wuhan. The hotel provides laundry services which are cheap by US standards but not as cheap by chinese standards...there are however shopkeepers who take in laundry but it's sometimes a pain to carry it down and pick it up a day or two later. The bottom line: you certainly do not have to pack two months’ worth of clothing!
... . . Never go anywhere without TP - keep a roll in your backpack. If you go to non-western restaurants, hostels etc. you will find this isn't provided.
... . . Along the same lines, hand wipes are a good idea. Both can be bought there cheaply.
... ..Try not to order drinks with ice. If you buy an icee drink [these are becoming popular] you can be confident the ice is coming out of a plastic bag and is pure.
... . .Always have your PASSPORT. [who wrote this? i never carry mine--it sits in my sock drawer for the entire time we're there! (bob)]
... . .ATMs are everywhere, it is tough to use travelers checks but prepaid debit cards are great. (Again differing opinions on this. I was always able to find an ATM.) [i guess this is true but i wouldn't rely on it--in 7 years i've never used an ATM in china but then again i don't use them in the states either...i'd say bring at least a few hundred bucks cash, some blank checks in case you need to pay the travel agent, and be prepared and get creative..for one thing, some teachers will be coming directly home after the program and won't spend their entire salary--so you could write them a check for a few hundred dollars' worth of chinese money (bob)].
... . .Negotiate price on purchases from vendors (not stores or restaurants).
... . .Try to eat Chinese, not western foods. Food is definitely part of the great experience, just use caution and don't if you think something is amiss.
... . .if you are a coffee person, take packets, it is difficult to find coffee in most places.
Locks for Luggage:
I was able to purchase a "cover" for my pack at REI (a few years back but I'm sure they still have something like this). It's like a big nylon pillowcase for your pack but with a zipper on top that can be locked. It wouldn't keep anyone out who really wants to get in and has a knife, but it keeps general luggage handlers "honest" and provides some protection for the pack at airports as well. I'm very happy with mine except that you can't put it on until the very last minute because it's impossible to carry the pack on your back with the cover on it.
Do let your students really get to know you as a person...and photos are a great way to do this. you will never have people look as closely at minute details of photographs as the people in China will, spotting everything about your manner of dress, small things in the background, etc.
Dr. Eric Shepherd, author of "Eat Shandong," shared his experiences and advice at the 2004-2007 WUSIEP Orientations. Unfortunately, he couldn't attend this year's orientation. However, he was kind to allow me to distribute his handouts to you. Hope they will be helpful to your upcoming China trip. EricTipsforTeachinginChina.doc
Curriculum questions:
Q: We have to have 3 topic lesson plans ready by the training. What should they look like? Should they have PowerPoint presentations? Should they be traditional lesson plans with objectives and timing on it, for example?
A: by the time of the training, you should prepare a first draft of the pages you want to be included in the workbook. [the assumption here is that you've also made lesson plans and then created the workbook pages based off of those]. at the training, you can meet with other members of your Theme if they are there [returning teachers probably won't be because we only require you to come your first year] and then a final draft of your workbook pages is due june 15th i think i said? i don't plan to collect the topic lesson plans themselves but for your own purposes they might be nice to have with the timing of activities, etc.
so, think of the 2-hour topic lessons as a series of 3-5 activities which introduce the content and give students opportunities to use the language. the first few years of the program, teachers gave 1-hour "interactive lectures" [somewhat oxymoronic if you ask me] and then the second hour was each student standing in front of the class giving a 2-minute impromptu speech while his/her classmates talked to each other, sent short messages, or slept. it was maddening but the chinese wanted it that way and they paid the fiddler so they called the tune. through a lot of negotiation with the chinese side, we've progressed greatly in terms of making the topic lessons incredibly dynamic and interactive...the more running around the classroom, going to the board, yelling and screaming you can generate, the better. ha!
Q: Our overarching question is: ...are we supposed to be versed in and ready to teach all three topics?
A: yes...each teacher teaches all three topics....so even if you divide the job of creating the topic lessons, you each teach them [and can do so with your own personal style].
Q: If I understand the cycle, we teach Group 1 for three mornings and three afternoons in a row. Does that mean that on Day 1, I teach my first topic lesson then Day 2 my second one and Day 3 my third one and then on Day 4 start all over again with a new group?
A: yes....you teach one group of students for three mornings, another group for those three afternoons, and then on day 4 [and day 7, and day 10...] you get a new morning group and a new afternoon group. the only thing that doesn't change is your homeroom group...you have them from 9-10am every day.
Q: When I look at [the previous year's] material, it seems that they had 3 PPT that went with [each lesson] in the workbook.
A: each teacher can make his/her own powerpoint. if you are splitting up the lesson creation tasks, the teacher in charge of each lesson might make a basic ppt and then other teachers can tailor it to their own interests. so, the topic lesson should be the same but the delivery of it can be unique to each teacher in the Theme.
Q: Do we team teach or do we teach separately?
A: you teach individually. each teacher has her own classroom and you stay in that room all 3 weeks
Q: Do we assign homework?
A: not really. i don't know if anybody ever has. but that doesn't mean you can't preview the next day's lesson and encourage students to visit a few websites at night if they want to do work outside of class. the program is a real balance between fun and education...the most important part is that the students have fun but the other most important part is that they learn a lot from us... :)
Q: How many students are in each group?
A: hopefully around 20-22. wuhan university always hopes to enroll 900 students [30/class] and at one level we should hope they are successful, but on another level, i don't think we're ever too disappointed when they're not
Q: How much can we expect to get done in 2 hours?
A: chinese students are very good at accomplishing tasks, so it wouldn't be unrealistic to divide the 2 hours into 5 20-minute activities and get them all done, even including a break...
Q: What do we do in homeroom?
A: each teacher can determine their own homeroom curriculum depending on your strengths and interests. usually teachers do some pronunciation lessons [which isn't usually explicitly included in the topic lessons], speaking activities, etc. there is also the assumption that each Theme will include some extra material for the workbook so you can do activities in the morning which give students a chance to reflect on what they learned the day before. [if these can be modeled after the ibt-TOEFL that is even better.
Q: What does a typical day look like? The nuts and bolts, day in, day out of things?
A: breakfast 730-830; bus to classroom 745; homeroom 900-955; topic lesson 1000-1200; bus back to hotel at 1215; lunch 1230-115; naptime 115-214; bus back to classroom at 215; topic lesson 230-430; walk back to hotel and collapse onto your bed for another nap 430-530; dinner 530-535; extracurricular activities 600-midnight... :)
Q: What is Internet access like? Can we expect certain sites to be blocked?
A: no internet in the classroom; internet at the hotel but no youtube and facebook is somewhat unreachable unless you are pretty tech-savvy or have friends who are. ha!
Luggage Restrictions:
Just a short message to explain a little about the travel and the luggage...and please please please feel free to confirm this with the airline if you are the least dubious about it. i have been wrong about stuff before and i will be wrong again--of that there is no doubt. ha ha!
On the way to china, because it is an international flight, you are allowed two 50-lb checked-bags. travel from beijing to wuhan will be on the train, and luggage limits do not apply. [oh, bring a lock or two--one for each bag--for use when we send the luggage on the train...that is absolutely *imperative*].
On the way home though, you might encounter the 20 kg domestic baggage limit. i remember a few years ago, i had to pay something like 300 rmb [about 35$ then, but about 40$ now] for my second bag. usually though, i think the chinese travel agent can make a note of this on your domestic ticket to your departure airport for your flight home, but post-program travel within china presents some interesting scenarios because if you're heading to Xi'an for 4 days with a group of other teachers, you might not want to hassle with two 50-lb bags
Churches:
There are a few that i know of in wuhan--one protestant and the other catholic, for sure--and teachers have gone regularly over the years. some of the returning teachers can help you find a church and get there, or maybe even a student can help. as far as the students go, it's perfectly acceptable to talk about religion with them--religion is a big part of the US and probably plays a big part in the lives of some of you...so, it is not a topic you need to avoid. [but of course you shouldn't be promoting it or passing out religious materials, etc.] you will have no problem entering china with a bible for your personal use but you expose our entire program to problems if you bring more than one, with the intent to distribute.
Attitude:
Our attitude upon arrival should be primarily one of humility and we should try to learn as much as we can about our students, teaching english in china, and china in general while we are there. in this regard, we are going to china as teachers but also as learners.
Bring your own batteries:
I've bought name-brand Double-A batteries (Duracell, etc) in China before that aren't energized enough even to operate my digital camera. Fact is, you can't always count on quality assurance. And in many cases there are actually different standards for domestic and goods for export. Example are the Ferrar & Rocher chocolates (sp.?) in the stores in China. They are, uh, not quite as good as the same ones you'd buy in Columbus or Hong Kong.
Deodorant/anti-perspirant:
Bring your own. It's not a staple on Chinese store shelves. And the roll-ons you might see that look like anti-perspirant aren't. They're more like a perfume to cover up the sweat smell.
Money...
I was asked what type of money be taken to China: personal checks, or cash, or money order to China. My answer is in this order: cash and money order. You will find your credit card might be useful in Beijing and Wuhan, though there won't be many stores which accept foreign credit cards.
Doing Research
hi folks...i know you've only got a few more days to get organized for your departure, but i want to take a few minutes to talk about something important to our program: research. it has taken me a few years, at least, maybe more, to come around to the importance of this in general--i've always thought research diverted teachers from what i thought was their exclusive mission, teaching--but now that i have come to appreciate its vital role in everyone becoming better teachers, i want to explain a little about how/why it is important to our program and lay out some general thoughts about it in the context of WUSIEP. in fact, i know some of you have already contacted me/us about wanting to collect some data while you're there, and others of you may be considering it as well, or will consider it now, which is great... :)
1) we encourage as much research as possible on and about the program and will cooperate with you fully to make it as meaningful and unobtrusive as possible. that being said though, please make sure that minru/i know what you're doing and we'll want to see any instrument you design before you use it.
2) if the chinese english teachers you befriend want to collect some information--they are very motivated to publish, most of them at least--make sure they also talk to us in advance of doing anything. we also obviously encourage them and any possible collaborations between US and Chinese teachers--esp. if they result in conference presentations or publications--would be wonderful. however, sometimes they come up with ill-advised schemes with onerous expectations and one way for you to handle a situation where they are asking you to help them is to divert the teacher to us.
sincerely,
bob
Calling Home
Skype is also an option or at least it was last year.
About the telephone...i mentioned earlier how easy [and inexpensive--2 or 3 cents/minute] it is for people to call you through the www.onesuite.com system, but it is also possible for you to call home from your room. when you arrive, if you expect wanting to do this, you can put up a deposit at the front desk of the hotel [usually, 200 rmb] and then each call is deducted from this. it is not expensive but it is nowhere near as inexpensive as your family calling you. in the past, systems like pre-arranged times to call so you can be in your room, or sending email saying "call me in 5 minutes...i'll be in my room" have all worked well........also, when you walk around china, at most newsstands, you will see blue and/or orange public phones...i have, many times, been strolling down the street, had a few minutes to kill, and picked up the phone to call random friends back in the states just to hear their voice for a few minutes, etc....it's actually pretty easy and not terribly expensive either.
each of us has a phone in our room and at most people calling you will need to provide your room # to the hotel front desk phone operator...
More suggestions from Monica
I would just pack travel-size toiletries for going to China. When we arrive in Wuhan, all of us teachers will go together to the Chinese version of Walmart, and you can get anything you might need there, even bug spray. It's kind of funny, because bug spray is translated to "toilet water" (I think they mean "toilette"). Most of the brands I've seen come in a bright green plastic bottle and it's super cheap and easy to find (it gets a little buggy on campus at night). We'll have translators with us as well, so no worries. You can also get a full-sized shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc. there. Last year I just packed a couple travel sizes of those for while we're in Beijing, and bought my month-long supply once we got into Wuhan. However , as far as feminine hygiene goes, you definitely want to bring your own supplies. For example, it's nearly impossible to find tampons; last year, we went hunting all over the place and all we could find was an 8-pack of o.b. tampons. But other bath & body products are abundant; the Chinese shampoo I got last year was awesome.
I remember last year the guys had trouble charging their electric razors, so I would pack regular razors of your own. Chinese women don't seem to shave their legs or armpits and the men's beards are scanty, so the razors in China may not be up to par with (or as easy to come by as) the ones you can buy in the U.S. Also, bring a travel-size pack of tissues (you can buy more in Wuhan's "Walmart"); sometimes you may be out with students and the public bathrooms aren't so nice. TP is something you don't want to be without when you're out and about in China (or anywhere, for that matter!).
You can't drink the water straight from the tap in China, but you can use it to brush your teeth if you boil it first. We'll each have a mini-boiler in our rooms for doing so.
As far as the plane goes, on the way to China, I would try to have 3 pieces of luggage, no more: a carry-on with your laptop, IDs, passport, etc. (i.e. the important stuff, and keep it on you at all times), a small suitcase (to carry-on) [my suggestion is that if you can check two bags, then don't carry-on anything other than your purse/laptop bag...it makes the boarding process less stressful (bob)], and a big suitcase with your clothes/shoes/etc. that you can check. You should also pack a big duffel bag of some sort, so that when you come back, you'll have a whole extra carry-on that you can put souvenirs in (and you can just check the other 2 suitcases). Trust me, you'll probably need it, especially if you have a lot of friends and family you want to shop for. The ladies last year had clothing made (I had 6 dresses made last year for myself and friends!), and you'll find that you have more money than you know what to do with. So an extra bag may come in handy for the travel home.
Q: What is the laundry service at Wuhan University? Is it self-service, coin operated laundromat like we have in the US or is it a dry cleaning service?
A: The service girls on each floor can wash clothes for us, charging a very reasonable fee.
Q:Do the rooms have an iron so we can iron our own clothes?
A: I don't know if there is any iron in the hotel or not. If one does need one, it is quite cheap to buy one there in Wuhan. Even two or three teachers can share one.
Q: Will someone meet us at the airport in Beijing? How do we get to the hotel? And if we opt for the tour when the program ends, are there arrangements for us to get to the airport in Shanghai or must we find a way to do that ourselves?
A: There will be a tour guide to meet with us at the Beijing airport. As a group trip, our travel agent will make all arrangements for us. If one will have his/her own post-program trip, please contact me about the details when we are in Wuhan.
Q. SHOULD I TAKE A CONVERTER WITH ME TO CHINA?
A. Not necessary. Although the electric volt in China is 220 v instead of 110v, you are not encouraged to take electric equipment to China during this short trip. If you need hair dryer (most of the hotel rooms are equipped with the hair dryer), it is cheaper to buy one than buying a converter and taking it to China. If you do have something needing a converter, please let Bob or me know. Also, most laptops and battery chargers have a built in converter--that big black box on the plug. You need to check this though and make sure it says something like "110V-240V"...however, not all the big black boxes on the plugs are also converters...if you don't check before plugging it in though, you'll know within a few seconds [by the burning smell] that it isn't... :)
Q. DO I HAVE TO TRAVEL WITH THE TEACHERS BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROGRAM?
A. No. The teachers are departing from various locations in the United States, so I do not expect we will all be together as a group until we have arrived in China. However, the travel agents will do their best to make arrangements for us to take the same international flight to China, as we did over the past years.
There is a pre-program tour in Beijing, covered by Wuhan University. Unless you receive permission from WUSIEP, you are expected to participate in this tour fully. Regardless of how many times you've visited the places we'll go, or how many friends you have in Beijing, you need to stay with our group. [There will be a few hours each evening to meet friends/former students if you want to]. At the end of the program, you can leave Wuhan by 5pm Friday July 29. Many teachers may stay in China a few extra days after that to see more of this country before returning to America. But this is totally up to you. In the past, many of the teachers took a tour to the Three Gorges and then to Shanghai.
Q. WHAT ARE THE ACCOMMODATIONS LIKE FOR THE TEACHERS AT WUHAN UNIVERSITY?
A. The Luojia Shan Villa is a campus hotel on the side of a hill on the Wuhan University campus. Each teacher will have a private room that is air conditioned and has Western-style toilet but like in many asian countries, the toilet paper is thrown in the wastebasket--not flushed. In addition, each room has a desk for any teaching preparation work, a hair dryer, and many rooms have refrigerators.
Q. DO WE NEED TO BRING BASIC SUPPLIES AND A COMPUTER?
A. Not unless you want to. At the Luojia Shan Villa, the teachers are provided with a workroom of basic supplies (stationery, pens, pencils, staplers, etc) and desktop computers with fast broadband Internet connections. Teachers could prepare lessons or send email home with relative ease. There is also a photocopier in our workroom at the hotel but it is prone to unreliability and should only be used to make limited amounts of copies. Do not arrive in Wuhan expecting to do a lot of copying--most everything you need for daily class activities should be included in the student workbook.
Q. WHAT ABOUT BRINGING VIDEOTAPES?
A. If you want to bring a videotape to show to your class, I highly recommend that you have it converted to DVD before you leave for China.. Each teacher will have a workstation in the front of each classroom for showing presentations or videos, but it probably won’t include a VCR player.
If you are going to use internet materials in your teaching, please download them and save them in a CD or DVD. There might be difficulty to download these materials in China, and there is no internet system in the classroom building, though I have asked to have it for years.
Q. WHAT ABOUT HEALTH INSURANCE?
A. Check with your individual health-insurance company to see what coverage you would have in China. We require each teacher should have his/her own health insurance while working at Wuhan University. Fortunately, in the past, the most serious illnesses experienced by the teachers were stomachache or flu-like symptoms from eating bad food or hot weather. Wuhan University officials were very gracious and provided care and medicine, if necessary, without charging the teachers.
Q. DO I NEED ANY SPECIAL VACCINATIONS OR OTHER MEDICAL CHECK-UP BEFORE I TRAVEL TO CHINA?
A. This depends on the opinion of your personal physician. Now is the time to contact your physician regarding whether you need any preventative vaccinations or medical care before going to China. An important source of medical information for foreign travelers is on the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov). Wuhan University is in an urban environment. We will not be out in the rural areas of China where many serious diseases can be contracted. However, depending on your medical history, your physician may recommend a TB test and hepatitis vaccinations, at least. Because the hepatitis vaccinations are given in a series over weeks before you leave the United States, it would be advisable to contact your physician now. Also, be sure to pack any medication you need, and it is probably best to see your dentist so you do not have unintended dental problems in China. As for over-the-counter medication, you can pack
your favorite allergy medicine, vitamins, or whatever you take. I would suggest that you do not forget taking some diarrhea medicine in case your stomach has a little problem getting used to the Wuhan diet and schedule.
OTHER THOUGHTS AND SUGGESTIONS FROM TEACHERS . . .
.. . . If you are missing American food in Wuhan, don’t worry. A Pizza Hut and about a half-dozen McDonald’s and a few KFCs are walking distance from the University gate. Near the main square of the city there is a French-owned shopping center, called Carrefour, which includes a large grocery store with not only some exotic Chinese food but good old Western food, from Gatorade to Hershey Bars to peanut butter and vacuum-packed cold cuts.
.. . . Be careful with what you eat in the restaurants and on the street. Best rule: if it hasn’t been cooked or looks bad, DON’T EAT IT. We will have many chances to eat out with our Chinese hosts and they will take us to restaurants where the food is good AND safe. Another important guideline is that if you are going to do any food exploration, do it on friday or saturday because if your body reacts to it negatively, you do not need to be in the classroom the following day. With apologies, we cannot allow teachers to miss class for intestinal distress--we simply don't have substitutes and canceling class isn't an option. Be smart and remember the most important thing is that you stay healthy enough to teach all your classes...the adventure part of this journey is secondary. WHU is paying a lot of money to fly us there to teach, not to complain about diarrhea. (bob)
.. . . Don’t ever drink tap water anywhere in China, not even in your hotel room. Only drink bottled water. Most teachers brush their teeth with water from the faucet though with no problem.
.. . . Expect HOT weather. Temperatures of summer days in Wuhan is usually in the mid-90s but could be over 110 degrees F . So pack cool, light-colored clothing. The classrooms are air conditioned, but you can lose a few pounds walking between class and the villa. (Wuhan University will provide the teachers with a bus in the morning and noon between classroom and hotel) The Chinese don’t call Wuhan one of the “stoves” of China for nothing!
.. . . Also on campus---a post office and little “convenience stores” for late-night snacks.
.. . . No need to pack your fanciest clothing. The dress code for teachers is “business casual,” a little on the conservative side. Don’t wear odd-style clothes, like jeans with chains and holes in them.. We might think we’re making a fashion statement, but the Chinese will just think we’re slovenly. ALso, forget cotton clothes because they take too long to dry. You will probably do your laundry by hand and hang it on the roof of the hotel to dry. Finally, this is not a style show...bring 3-4 changes of clothes and wear them repeatedly without any concern for repetition. You may notice in fact that your students wear the same clothes every day, or, at most, have a couple different changes of clothes. This sort of thing just isn't an issue to them.
.. . . Also, clothes are relatively inexpensive there. You might want to pack light and supplement your wardrobe in Wuhan. The hotel provides laundry services which are cheap by US standards but not as cheap by chinese standards...there are however shopkeepers who take in laundry but it's sometimes a pain to carry it down and pick it up a day or two later. The bottom line: you certainly do not have to pack two months’ worth of clothing!
... . . Never go anywhere without TP - keep a roll in your backpack. If you go to non-western restaurants, hostels etc. you will find this isn't provided.
... . . Along the same lines, hand wipes are a good idea. Both can be bought there cheaply.
... ..Try not to order drinks with ice. If you buy an icee drink [these are becoming popular] you can be confident the ice is coming out of a plastic bag and is pure.
... . .Always have your PASSPORT. [who wrote this? i never carry mine--it sits in my sock drawer for the entire time we're there! (bob)]
... . .ATMs are everywhere, it is tough to use travelers checks but prepaid debit cards are great. (Again differing opinions on this. I was always able to find an ATM.) [i guess this is true but i wouldn't rely on it--in 7 years i've never used an ATM in china but then again i don't use them in the states either...i'd say bring at least a few hundred bucks cash, some blank checks in case you need to pay the travel agent, and be prepared and get creative..for one thing, some teachers will be coming directly home after the program and won't spend their entire salary--so you could write them a check for a few hundred dollars' worth of chinese money (bob)].
... . .Negotiate price on purchases from vendors (not stores or restaurants).
... . .Try to eat Chinese, not western foods. Food is definitely part of the great experience, just use caution and don't if you think something is amiss.
... . .if you are a coffee person, take packets, it is difficult to find coffee in most places.
Locks for Luggage:
I was able to purchase a "cover" for my pack at REI (a few years back but I'm sure they still have something like this). It's like a big nylon pillowcase for your pack but with a zipper on top that can be locked. It wouldn't keep anyone out who really wants to get in and has a knife, but it keeps general luggage handlers "honest" and provides some protection for the pack at airports as well. I'm very happy with mine except that you can't put it on until the very last minute because it's impossible to carry the pack on your back with the cover on it.
Do let your students really get to know you as a person...and photos are a great way to do this. you will never have people look as closely at minute details of photographs as the people in China will, spotting everything about your manner of dress, small things in the background, etc.
Dr. Eric Shepherd, author of "Eat Shandong," shared his experiences and advice at the 2004-2007 WUSIEP Orientations. Unfortunately, he couldn't attend this year's orientation. However, he was kind to allow me to distribute his handouts to you. Hope they will be helpful to your upcoming China trip.